INEC Chair Amupitan Declares End to Ballot Box Snatching

On Wednesday, in Abuja, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared that the era of ballot box snatching and result changing is over. This statement was made during a courtesy visit from Mallam Lanr Issa Onilu, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

Amupitan informed Nigerians that technology is now robust enough to ensure that every vote in the 2027 general elections is protected. He noted that the presidential elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the gubernatorial elections for February 6, 2027.

He urged the commission to begin serious efforts to involve the public and warned citizens against spreading false information that could jeopardize the electoral process. Amupitan stressed the importance of educating voters about the new laws and technologies that will help keep their choices safe, particularly in rural areas, and emphasized the need for proactive engagement with the public ahead of the elections.